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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · wound · stock · can · club · pit · last · leaves

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. last — final
  6. club — for golf
  7. pit — a hole
  8. club — for dancing
  9. stock — goods
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wound — an injury
  12. craft — boats
  13. can — a tin
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. club — a group
  16. last — to go on
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. can — a tin
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pit — in a race
  22. stock — shares
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. craft — a handicraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com